The ringing of a cash register isn’t a typical sound heard in an elementary school, but at Victor H. Hexter Elementary School, students are learning how to run and operate their own store. Known as “Hexter Market,” students in Heidi Zeko’s Functional Living Skills (FLS) class take on the role of shopkeeper. Recognizing the diverse abilities of her students, Zeko tailors tasks to each individual’s strengths, ensuring an inclusive and engaging experience. Adorned in blue, custom-made aprons, students help customers choose a snack, each priced at only $1. “They’ll work in shifts to greet customers, ask what they want, and…

Resource Center South (RCS) is now open and ready for business. Housed at the Joseph J. Rhoads Learning Center, the center supports community members from the Lincoln High School and James Madison High School vertical teams. Essentials such as healthy food, counseling, and medical help are now more accessible for those who need a place of support and respite, thanks to the Bond 2020 program. “When communities are deprived of access to resources, like grocery stores, health care, job training, recreation, the results are a lower academic achievement in the classroom,” Pamela Lear, deputy superintendent of Staff and Racial Equity,…

“I think that if he [Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.] were still alive, he would tell us that it is now time to speak up and claim our money from the bank of freedom, prosperity and peace, today is our pay day.” These were Aiden B.’s final words in his original speech, ultimately making him the winner of the 32nd Dallas MLK Oratory Competition. His response to this year’s theme, “How would Dr. King reflect on the 60 years since his “I Have A Dream’ speech,” addressed topics prevailing in today’s society: “This reminds me that there is still hope,…